Semele

First appears: Apollodorus, Library 3.4

🌐 Also appears in: The Metamorphoses of Ovid (as Semele) · Greek Tragedy — The Same Myth, Three Voices (as Semele)

Semele was born to Cadmus and Harmonia among their daughters, alongside Autonoe, Ino, and Agave, with Polydorus as their son: “And to Cadmus were born daughters, Autonoe, Ino, Semele, Agave, and a son Polydorus.” Zeus loved Semele and secretly slept with her, while Hera became her enemy and deceived her into asking Zeus to appear as he had when he wooed Hera.

At her bridal chamber, Zeus came in a chariot with lightning and thunder and launched a thunderbolt; Semele died of fright. In Hesiod’s account, however, Semele was joined with Zeus in love and bore Dionysus, “a mortal woman an immortal son,” after which both mother and son became gods.

Relationship record

Life events

• Cadmus and Harmonia had four daughters and a son, Polydorus.(Apollodorus, Library 3.4)
  • With: Cadmus Autonoe Ino Agave Polydorus
  • “And to Cadmus were born daughters, Autonoe, Ino, Semele, Agave, and a son Polydorus.”
• Semele died when Zeus appeared to her with lightning and thunder.(Apollodorus, Library 3.4 · 📍 her bridal chamber)
  • With: Zeus
  • “Unable to refuse, Zeus came to her bridal chamber in a chariot, with lightnings and thunderings, and launched a thunderbolt. But Semele expired of fright”
• Semele bore Dionysus, an immortal son, and both mother and son became gods.(Hesiod, Theogony 869-975)
  • With: Dionysus Zeus
  • “And Semele, daughter of Cadmus was joined with him in love and bare him a splendid son, joyous Dionysus,—a mortal woman an immortal son. And now they both are gods.”

Apollodorus, Library 3.4

• parent: Cadmus “And to Cadmus were born daughters, Autonoe, Ino, Semele, Agave, and a son Polydorus.”
• siblings with Autonoe “And to Cadmus were born daughters, Autonoe, Ino, Semele, Agave, and a son Polydorus.”
• siblings with Ino “And to Cadmus were born daughters, Autonoe, Ino, Semele, Agave, and a son Polydorus.”
• siblings with Agave “And to Cadmus were born daughters, Autonoe, Ino, Semele, Agave, and a son Polydorus.”
• siblings with Polydorus “And to Cadmus were born daughters, Autonoe, Ino, Semele, Agave, and a son Polydorus.”
• courtship with Zeus “But Zeus loved Semele and bedded with her unknown to Hera.”
• enemies with Hera “and deceived by Hera she asked that he would come to her as he came when he was wooing Hera.”
• with Hera (Hera deceived Semele.) “deceived by Hera she asked that he would come to her as he came when he was wooing Hera”

Hesiod, Theogony 869-975

• with Zeus (interaction) “And Semele, daughter of Cadmus was joined with him in love”
• child: Dionysus “and bare him a splendid son, joyous Dionysus”
• parent: Harmonia “bare to Cadmus Ino and Semele and fair-cheeked Agave”

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Extracted from the original text of Greek Mythology. Made with Rho MD.